Article types

EPSR article types

European Political Science Review (EPSR) accepts:

• Research articles (10,000 words max)
• State-of-the-field reviews (8,000 words max)
• Research notes (5,000 words max)

All or part of the publication costs may be covered by a Cambridge University Press Open Access agreement. If your institution is not covered by such an agreement, see EPSR Open Access options to request an APC waiver.

Research articles

Empirical papers based on qualitative or quantitative methodologies and contextualised within broader theoretical debates in the discipline. EPSR also welcomes conceptual and theoretical papers, as well as contributions from the field of normative political theory.

State-of-the-field reviews

Comprehensive assessments of the state of the field that address future challenges. Reviews should critically evaluate existing research, put forward stimulating new research questions, and develop proposals for advancing the discipline.

Research notes

More focused than full articles, research notes should present a novel perspective on existing research and encourage scholarly debate. Intended to reach a broad readership, they promote discussion across political science subfields and related disciplines.

Special Issues

Special Issues showcase innovative, cutting-edge research that advances theoretical and empirical knowledge in any field of political science. They should renew established research agendas and develop new ones.

Special issue proposals should include:

• A general abstract
• A detailed outline describing the collection’s purpose, objectives, key research questions, theoretical and/or empirical approach, innovation, and relevance
• Abstracts of the proposed articles
• Names and short biographies of the guest editors
• Short biographies of contributing authors
• A timeline for submission, review, and revision
• References or bibliography, where relevant

Further reading: Detailed guidelines.

EPS article types

European Political Science (EPS) accepts:

• Research articles (8,000 words max*)
• Articles on the profession (8,000 words max*)
• Teaching and learning articles (8,000 words max*)
• Datasets (5,000 words max*)
• Policy commentaries (3,000 words max**)
• Book reviews (1,000 words max**)
• Book review essays (1,000 words max**)
• Special Issues (4–5 research articles, each up to 8,000 words*)
• Debates (3–5 articles, each up to 5,000 words*)

* All or part of the publication costs for these article types may be covered by a Cambridge University Press Open Access agreement. If your institution is not covered by such an agreement, see EPS Open Access options to request an APC waiver.

** No APCs are required for these article types.

Research articles

Empirical contributions based on qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, from all subfields of political science. EPS also welcomes conceptual articles that advance novel theories or contribute to the theoretical debates. Articles should be:

• Intellectually stimulating
• Conceptually and methodologically rigorous
• Critical
• Agenda-setting

Articles on the profession

EPS welcomes articles about:

• The state of the discipline and future directions
• Relationships between academia and politicians, policymakers, journalists, and citizens
• Research opportunities and research impact
• The process of conducting research, including ethics, data repositories, and open access
• Professional networks and communities

Teaching and learning articles

Articles on innovative approaches to teaching and learning political science.

Datasets

Original datasets accompanied by a short note explaining:

• The dataset’s novelty
• The variables included
• Data sources

The descriptive article is protected by copyright, but the dataset itself is not. This enables authors to receive publication credit and citations while ensuring the data remains available for wider research use.

Policy commentaries

Shorter manuscripts that connect original research findings to current policy debates. Commentaries may discuss the policy impact of research and/or offer policy recommendations. They combine analytical rigour with concise, accessible writing aimed at academic and practitioner audiences.

EPS particularly welcomes contributions involving the co-production of knowledge between academics and practitioners.

Book reviews

Reviews should focus on a single title. Please note: publishers are increasingly making only eBooks available to reviewers.

Book review essays

Book review essays engage with a common theme across two or more books. Please note: publishers are increasingly making only eBooks available to reviewers.

Special issues and Debates

EPS publishes two types of collection:

Special issues

Collections of 4–5 research articles, including an introductory article, covering any topic within the journal’s scope and coordinated by one or more guest editors. EPS publishes one Special Issue per year.

Debates

Collections of 3–5 articles presenting countervailing perspectives on current affairs, professional matters, concepts, and methodological or theoretical developments. Debates should stimulate discussion and engagement across the political science community.

Coordination by one or more guest editors is encouraged. Introduction and conclusion articles are optional.

PRX article types

Political Research Exchange (PRX) accepts:

• Research articles (10,000 words max)
• Research notes (5,000 words max)
• Data notes (5,000 words max)
• State-of-the-art reviews (8,000 words max)

Waivers and discounts on the APC are available to support researchers in developing and emerging regions who are unable to pay. PRX cannot apply waivers retrospectively. Please consult Taylor & Francis’ author guidance for more information.

Research articles

Long-form pieces of original research that make a clear and robust theoretical and/or empirical contribution to existing scholarship.

Research notes

Shorter contributions presenting innovative ideas and findings. Research notes may introduce new theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, or research programmes. They may also critique existing literature or methodologies, update previously published work, or identify promising avenues for future research. Notes may be primarily empirical and can present evidence that challenges existing assumptions.

Standard principles of scientific rigour apply.

Data notes

Data notes are peer-reviewed articles describing research data stored in a repository. They provide an overview of a dataset’s variables and construction, explain its value and potential uses, and offer guidance for researchers wishing to use the data.

Data notes increase the discoverability and transparency of research, support compliance with funder requirements, and promote FAIR principles by making data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.

State-of-the-art reviews

These articles provide a comprehensive overview of the academic and, where relevant, non-academic literature on a particular topic or subfield. They should generate new insights, identify future research directions, and offer a systematic and critical assessment of existing scholarship.

Reviews may draw on qualitative and quantitative research and should be written in a style accessible to both academic and non-academic readers.

Special collections

Special collections on topical issues should include:

• An introduction
• 7–10 articles
• A conclusion

Each article must satisfy the requirements of a standalone submission and make a significant contribution to the existing literature. Proposals containing fewer or more articles may be considered at the editors’ discretion, although collections should not exceed 12 articles.

To propose a Special collection, contact prx@ecpr.eu. Please include:

• An abstract of the collection
• Biographies of the collection editors
• A list of participating authors and their affiliations
• An outline of the collection, including its overarching framework and contribution
• Abstracts (or first drafts) of each proposed article
• A provisional timeline

Each manuscript will undergo the journal’s standard triple-anonymous peer-review process and must be accepted on its own merits. Journal editors will select reviewers and make all editorial decisions.